Scores protest Christian girl’s ‘forced conversion’

Scores gathered outside St Patrick's Cathedral and the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, protesting the alleged abduction and forced conversion of a Christian girl to Islam.

The protesters, including the girl's family, critiqued court orders and lambasted the government and police for what they termed their indifferent attitude.

Speaking during the demonstration, the girl's mother Rita Masih wailed, "I was not allowed to meet my daughter [and] the police misbehaved with us [her family and supporters]."

Later, she told The Express Tribune she and her family had been threatened by men in civilian attire on court premises.

She said that of her four children, the 13-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped was the youngest. "She is just 13," Rita stressed, showing documents to prove her statement. She further claimed that the free-will marriage documents presented before the court were fake and so was the photo on those documents.

Meanwhile, in the background, charged protesters shouted slogans, slamming the government for its 'indifference' towards minorities.

"Who were the people who kidnapped our daughter?" said an irate protester, Amer Suleman. "Who solemnised the nikkah? And how could a teenage girl change her religion [willingly]?" he questioned.

Another elderly protester, Isaac, shouted in anger, "We [Christians] are weak. We are not treated properly by the state and Muslims."

Speaking to The Express Tribune, he dubbed the kidnappings and forced conversions of girls to Islam "a conspiracy against minorities."

Not far away, a young married couple had joined the protesters. They said they were there to raise their voice against the injustice meted out to the affected family. "Do you not want us to send our daughters to school?" said the man, adding that it was mostly school-going girls who were abducted and forcibly converted.

Another protester, Eric Sahoutra said he had been following the case since it was initially reported and was a witness to the government and law enforcement agencies' indifferent attitude toward the affected family. "People openly threaten us [Christians]," he said. "It happened with us on court premises and in the presence of police."

Meanwhile, a speaker addressing the demonstration demanded the Sindh government address the issue on a priority basis. "The Sindh government does not provide us [Christians] any protection. Our daughters are kidnapped and forcefully converted," he said, decrying the "injustice" meted out to the abducted girl's family.

The protesters also expressed dismay over the lack of media coverage of the issue, saying that the plight of minorities was not given the attention it deserved.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2020.